Dublin’s reputation as a hub in technology and social media is ‘being eclipsed’ by questions over its low rate of corporation tax.
That is according to Ryan Smith, co-founder and CEO of Qualtrics, a supplier of business data collection and analysis.
He said: "Dublin is pretty hot but it’s getting lost in a lot of the tax structure questions…If these big companies weren’t being successful then no-one would move there. Success breeds success."
There are many other reasons why Dublin is attractive for long-term investment.
As well as a 12.5% rate of corporation tax, Dublin has a young and well-educated workforce and is the only English-speaking capital in the Eurozone.
Forbes Magazine recently named Ireland as the best country in Europe to start a business, while 1MB World Competitiveness Yearbook 2012 rated Ireland first in the world for the availability of skilled labour, flexibility and adaptability of workforce and attitudes towards globalisation.
What’s more, Aer Lingus recently announced direct services from Dublin to San Francisco, which is hugely attractive for those looking for a place to do business.
There’s also a higher quality of life in Ireland, with the most recent UN Human Development Index (HDI) showing the quality of life in Ireland to be significantly higher than in countries in Europe.
The Irish have a strong sense of community, always know when to stop working, when they’re working too hard and know how to make the best cup of tea. Why wouldn’t you want to do business there?
